Wild camping in Vic National Parks

[Diliff]

As a relative newcover to the Victorian National Parks, I wanted to ask what the situation was with low impact wild camping outside of the designated camp sites? I've looked on the Parks Victoria website and all of the individual park pages don't really mention whether this is specifically prohibited or not. Does it vary considerably from park to park, and if you don't stay at the camp site, are you still required to pay the fee for a camp site? The Wilson's Prom page says you need an overnight hiking permit and implies that it is essential you book the camp sites, but others don't mention anything.

For example, I was looking at a two day (overnight) walk along the Cathedral Range, and I can see from the maps that there is a camp site at the Farmyard, but if I were to set up a tent elsewhere along the route (if there were any flat ground), would this be a problem?

Any general and specific advice regarding what's prohibited, tolerated, encouraged, etc would be appreciated. Thanks.

[Drifting]

Not within 100 meters of a road in Alpine NP, from memory, but otherwise ok. That's all I remember.

[north-north-west]

Keep away from the roads and otherwise it's pretty well open slather. And what fees (apart from The Prom)?

[Out_Walking]

And what fees (apart from The Prom)?

It cost me a wallet emptying $14 to camp overnight at the Farmyard. Am I the only bloke to have paid to camp there?!

[Diliff]

And what fees (apart from The Prom)?

It cost me a wallet emptying $14 to camp overnight at the Farmyard. Am I the only bloke to have paid to camp there?!

Haha, well that's what I'm wondering. It sounds like a pretty basic site with no facilities to speak of, so why stay there for $14 (or risk a fine?) when you could just camp somewhere else a bit more isolated for free?

By the way, since you've been there, did you see anywhere else along the ridge suitably flat for a 2 man backpacking tent? If the weather is nice and clear, it sounds more pleasant to sleep a little more exposed above the trees with a good view of the stars, but the route does look pretty rocky...

[Out_Walking]

Haha, well that's what I'm wondering. It sounds like a pretty basic site with no facilities to speak of, so why stay there for $14 (or risk a fine?) when you could just camp somewhere else a bit more isolated for free?

By the way, since you've been there, did you see anywhere else along the ridge suitably flat for a 2 man backpacking tent? If the weather is nice and clear, it sounds more pleasant to sleep a little more exposed above the trees with a good view of the stars, but the route does look pretty rocky...

I was there on a couple of freezing days last May and I didn't see any hikers at all. I could have easily done it as a freebie, but my conscience got the better of me

You know, off the top of my head it's slim pickings for spots for a tent on the top of the ridge. I guess you could cram it in somewhere? I walked in from the Sugaloaf end and the ridge is a lot more rugged with tougher walking than I expected. At the time there was a lot of regrowth from the 2009 fires which limits things as well. The Farmyard is a nice, sheltered spot, but like you said there's no facilities. There is some appeal with water being close by though.

[Earwig]

Generally, the more popular a park the more controlled the camping. For the Cathedrals, camping is only allowed in the designated spots, but no-one would know if you camped along the range. The only spots that might be possible other than the farmyard are maybe at the northern end, around Little Cathedral. And the signs that say bookings essential. Only true at easter and maybe Christmas when the place actually gets very busy, and never at the farmyard. Other times you can usually find somewhere to camp.

The other constraint on the range is water, which you can usually find at the farmyard but nowhere else along the range.

[jjay]

Yeah there's not that many places to camp in cathedral ranges other than the farmyard...it's pretty exposed on the ridge (and not that flat!).

[neil_fahey]

What's the big deal about forking out $14 to camp for a night? Parks are severely underfunded... It hardly hurts to contribute something if you're using them. Just saying.

[neil_fahey]

BTW, I'm not saying I don't understand the wish to camp away from the designated spots. I just don't understand if the purpose is to avoid the fees.

[Snowzone]

And what fees (apart from The Prom)?

It cost me a wallet emptying $14 to camp overnight at the Farmyard. Am I the only bloke to have paid to camp there?!

Yep we paid up too in November just gone. I thought the Farmyard was quite a nice spot to camp, you could still see the stars but no views out. There was a couple of spots down the Cathedrals end that would fit a tent and a nice spot on the Nth Jawbone track.

[Earwig]

There used to be good camping on the ridge above the farmyard. It was quite clear but the fire has led to a lot of regeneration and pitching a tent would be quite hard now. Of the many times I've camped at the farmyard, most have been with no-one or only one or two other walkers camped there. Being half way along the range also makes it a convenient stopping point for a two day hike.

[Bushman Ben]

BTW, I'm not saying I don't understand the wish to camp away from the designated spots. I just don't understand if the purpose is to avoid the fees.

Here here on that neil. Whats two pints at the pub versus Parks victoria getting what it needs to keep these parks open for us to enjoy?

On flat spots to camp at Cathedral, near the base of North Jawbone peak, there is quite a good site you could potentially camp at. If you're heading up from cooks mill for example, instead of heading left at the fork toward Farmyard, you heard right and move toward North Jawbone peak just before the clearing near the peak there is a very flat spot that would tick your boxes. (at the risk of a shameless self plug here is a map: http://hike-australia.com/cathedral-ran ... -walk-map/)

[murse]

The other aspect is that by camping in the designated areas, you are minimizing your impact of to the environment in that area, ie using a tent site or fire pit that is already there instead of starting a new one.

[neil_fahey]

Cheers Ben... And here here on your comment murse!

[Earwig]

... On flat spots to camp at Cathedral, near the base of North Jawbone peak, there is quite a good site you could potentially camp at ...

That's a nice area - and not too far from water. I consider it a northern suburb of the Farmyard myself. (By base of the Jawbones I'm assumng you mean the western side, not the very base of the cliff, which would be crap for camping.)

Regarding wild camping generally, I think we need to ackowledge that any camping does some damage - even if it is one tent for one night in a never before camped area. In that case, the damage will be slight and repair quite quickly. If the area is more popular, the damage is greater and recurs before the area can repair itself. Wild camping is really only viable in less visited areas - places very few people go so the damage is small and able to revege before the next camper comes along. The Cathedral Ranges is not such a place.

[Franco]

I haven't been there since the fires but one of the things I used to look out for were lyre birds.
had several close encounters and if you have not experienced the male repertoire , they are something...
and wombats. I like wombats.
Franco

[Bushman Ben]

Regarding wild camping generally, I think we need to ackowledge that any camping does some damage - even if it is one tent for one night in a never before camped area. In that case, the damage will be slight and repair quite quickly. If the area is more popular, the damage is greater and recurs before the area can repair itself. Wild camping is really only viable in less visited areas - places very few people go so the damage is small and able to revege before the next camper comes along. The Cathedral Ranges is not such a place.

Agreed. I personally only do bush/wild camping in areas where there are no other options, (Think Mt Loch or Wyperfeld Wilderness zone). In saying this, there is something special about camping so far from anybody and anything that if you sit really still you could be the only people in the world.